MORGANTOWN — The clock began to tick Monday for Darian DeVries and his first bunch of athletes that comprise the WVU men’s basketball team.
Full preseason practice began, now leaving 41 days and 28 practices — following Tuesday’s get together — until the opener against Robert Morris on Nov. 4.
“When it is official practice, there becomes a sense of urgency that the first official game is right around the corner,” DeVries said during a press conference Tuesday. “We’ve got a lot to do. We’ve made a lot of progress from June until now, but I feel like there’s more steps to take between now and the season.”
Just what will this team look like, well, DeVries said that is still a work in progress. There is a grand picture in mind. WVU isn’t there yet.
“I want our identity to be is when you walk out of that gym, I want everyone to talk about how hard we play,” DeVries said. “I want (people) to know how connected they are and feel that life and that energy every single day.”
Just who are these guys providing that type of energy. That’s the fun part, for now, with the first game still weeks away.
This bunch apparently doesn’t have much Italian flavor, DeVries joked, as he relayed a story from this summer’s exhibition tour of Italy.
“Some guys liked the spaghetti, some didn’t,” DeVries said. “I joke about it, but that’s also what you kind of figure out about your team is and who are they as you’re hanging out for 10 days.”
If you don’t like the spaghetti in Italy, that should be just cause for getting cut.
“I think it was some of the sauce, they didn’t like the pesto,” DeVries said with a smile.
Back home, there was another opportunity for DeVries to get a better picture on who he was working with. This time it came from a trip to a local bowling alley.
“We did cancel practice and went bowling one day,” DeVries said. “That might have changed our team a little bit, which is crazy, because we were practicing, practicing, practicing, and all of sudden we went bowling and I saw all of these personalities I never saw on a basketball floor.
“Guys were throwing strikes and doing windmills down the lane. They were chest-bumping and things. I thought it was great for us. I didn’t anticipate that being what would come out from bowling.”
A day later, DeVries told his guys he wanted to see that same type of enthusiasm on the practice floor.
“It was like, ‘Guys, that personality as a team is in there. Let it shine on the floor, too.’ When we have a big play and you want to go celebrate a dunk, go celebrate it. That’s what it’s supposed to look like.”
As for future bowlers on the WVU roster, forget it.
“No future pro bowlers, I didn’t see any,” DeVries said. “I’m not a great bowler evaluator, but it didn’t appear that way.”
What will these next 41 days be like for the Mountaineers? It will be a change from what WVU fans expected under former coach Bob Huggins, who made his three-hour practices seem almost like basic training at different points.
“We’ll do a little more film work that will extend the variation of our time,” DeVries said. “I’m not a three-hour practice guy. We try to keep our intensity level up, but shorten it to maybe 90 minutes. We make sure we do everything at a high-octane kind of level and try to make them practice the way we want them to perform in a game as much as possible.”
Note
WVU guard Joseph Yesefu (hip) was recently cleared for full practice.
Yesefu was injured while playing at Washington State last season, which cost him all but six games.
“He’s been participating in practice, and he’s been at full speed,” DeVries said. “You also have to remember he’s been out for eight months. He’s still working his way back, even though he’s been back for a few weeks. I don’t know how long that process will be for him to where he feels he’s 100% again.”
Yesefu began his career playing for DeVries at Drake before transferring to Kansas and then again to Washington State. He’s in his final season of eligibility.
“He certainly understands the concepts and the terminology,” DeVries said. “That gives him a chance to catch up a lot quicker than someone who is brand new. He also understands what the expectations are as well. I think he’s doing some good things, but we’re realistic, too, about how quickly it’s going to happen for him.”
